WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 October 1918, Page 3

WITH THE NEW ZEALANDERS.

'I UK advance continued.

ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOMES.

From Captain Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in the field).

October 10

Continuing the advance to-day, after occupying Fontaine and Boauvoia, the Otago and Canterbury troops, swinging to the right, captured Ilt-rpigny’s farm, and are now at Viesly and on the hills overlooking the Selle river. From the heights beyond Cambria road we saw Quievy burning, mid still farther on there were fires about Sole-sines. These are most probably dumps that tho enemy cannot get away. In to-day’s advance our men had practically no fighting.

In tho captured village where we found French civilians, there were memorable scenes. We found some who had been for ten days hiding in cellars and living on potatoes to escape Boclie captivity. Daily they could hear the sounds of the guns coming nearer, but they judged our advance best by the fact that whereas the enemy balloons were gradually going farther back, t‘ English balloons came day by day nearer. The inhabitants of the liberated villa go greeted our soldiers with tears of joy in their eyes. This morning, when they first saw the New Zealanders advancing, they felt sorry for them, as they thought they must be prisoners. They then noticed that they were carrying rifles and slowly it dawned on them that after four years of bondage, their deliverers had arrived. One lady of over eighty, who is still young .in heart, danced, with joy. A husband meeting his wife later asked is she had seen the New Zealanders entering the village. “Yes,” she replied, “I kissed the first one I saw.”

There were strange scenes in Caudrv. It, is a town of considerable size, but only two thousand civilians are le r< it. To-day tri-colour flags that 1 been hidden away for years, or hurriedly made in anticipation of relief were flying on many buildings. The town was not greatly damaged but in the anger of his impending retreat the Boche had smashed the furniture and.mirrors, and clocks and a hundred other articles in private, houses. One woollen factory that wo went through had all the looms recently broken.

The Germans had evidently gone right along the lines of the looms with hammers, smashing as they went. Yet the building, even to the glass roof was untouched by shell fire. The inhabitants complained of the severity of their treatment by the invaders, and one beard stories of young women taken away from their own villages that one would rather not believe. The people of Caudry were well-clothed, and were certainly not starved, but for their food, they wore, except for what they could grow, indebted to the American and Spanish committees. The Germans entered their houses at any time of day or night and took from them any little store of surplus food they might have accumulated. They made the girls work in factories nominally for 2$ francs per day, but the committee was ultimately mnde to pay. A few days ago they took away all able-bodied males between the ages of 15 and 65 to work behind the German lines. They wanted at first to take evpn hoys of fourteen. Some of the soldiers became arrogant and brutal a

few- days before tbeir retirement. Some soldiers insulted a young girl in the main square and on the father remonstrating lie was bound with ropes. In one street'l saw numerous crosses on houses. This was the street in which all sick had been herded, so that the enemy might shell or burn the rest- oi the town. They are now retiring to their own homes in other streets, for tho enemy had not time to greatly damage this town. When the enemy saw that ho had to retreat he started looting and carried away anything of value that he could possibly take.

Ono man who had been in Cambrai said that latterly the discipline of the Germans had in many cases become poor. He, himself saw seven hundred men with their officers, who had refused to fight, marched back to Catnbrai. German soldiers got meat only when they wore in the front line, none when they were In rest; Ono man spolco in admiration of the wonderful bravery of the British aviators. They flew right down over the houses, firing at groups of soldiers, an'd allowing no fear. There was one wonderfully suefcessful exploit, when an aviator hit a train of fifty trucks and sot on fire an enormous dump of food and other stores. It was one of the biggest German dumps in France. To-day all troops were in high spirits. It is a strange experience for them, well behind the Hindenburg line ,to come suddenly upon villages with houses almost undestroyed, and to be joyously treated bv the peoplo they themselves have delivered from the bondage.

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